Friends, Food, and a Panamanian Thanksgiving

Only the best busses sell ice cream cones

Since our Close of Service is rapidly approaching, I´ve been starting to work on cultivating a deeper post on how grateful I am for the impact Peace Corps has had on my life.  So instead of getting too deep, I´m going to save that for another time and instead share a little about the awesome Thanksgiving celebrations I was able to have here in Panama. 

As per Peace Corps Panama tradition, a majority of volunteers made the trek up to Cerro Punta, Chiriquí to celebrate Thanksgiving as a giant, happy, Peace Corps family.  After some of my busiest, sickest months yet, it was awesome to have the opportunity to spend a few days relaxing and celebrating with some of my closest friends. 

Carlos, the owner of Los Quetzales Eco-Lodge, was wonderfully accommodating and gave us all wonderful deals on accommodations, food, drink, and spa services.  My friends and I rented a cabin with stunningly beautiful views of the surrounding rainforest, and I couldn´t not take advantage of $20 hour-long massages…

 With the help of our master chef, Brennan, we created a delicious and mostly locally sourced Thanksgiving feast of roasted turkey, baked ham, cranberry stuffing, sweet potato and lentil curry, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, salad with cornbread croutons, chocolate cupcakes, and fruit tarts with a homemade custard filling.  Talk about a bule kri…full belly! 

 

 

Our incredible Thanksgiving dinner

We also had a talent show that was surprisingly packed with talented, well thought out acts such as a hip hop take on a traditional dance and a Panama PCV´s 12 days of Christmas:

On the first day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- a parrot in a pifá tree!

On the second day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 2 Many catcalls…

On the third day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 3 Meetings cancelled…

On the fourth day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 4 Quarts of Clos (the cheapest wine)

On the fifth day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 5 Days of School in November!

On the sixth day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 6 Pavos shouting…

On the seventh day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 7 Swines a Sqealing…

On the eighth day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 8 Outfits molding…

On the ninth day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 9 Nipples nursing…

On the tenth day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 10 Turtle eggs a frying…

On the eleventh day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 11 Random rashes…

On the twelfth day of Christmas my PanaMan gave to me- 12 Poops a day…

Obviously, a good time was had by all and tears were almost shed when we realized that this would be our last Thanksgiving together as Group 73.  Thankfully we still have almost 8 months left in country. 

And because one incredible Thanksgiving wasn´t enough, Part 2- Group 75´s Friendsgiving- followed a few short days later. Sadly, due to the initial 3 month travel ban which just barely encompassed Thanksgiving Day, our newest group of awesome volunteers, Group 75, was not allowed to attend the annual celebrations in Cerro Punta.  Since they´re a positive and super fun group, they decided to make the most of a potentially sad situation and organize their own Friendsgiving in Panama City.  They even invited some of us old volunteers (we´re almost the seniors now!) and since I was passing through in preparation for my trip to the Darien- more on that to come- I was able to spend some time celebrating a second time. Even though we couldn´t be at home celebrating with our families, I think I can speak for everyone in saying that our Panama Thanksgiving was pretty dang awesome.  

Panama's Patriotic Days

November is a month full of holidays in November, six to be exact.  And when you have six holidays in one month- plus any other unofficial festival that might be going on- well, the country seems to just be on one long break.  

On the agenda of things to celebrate are:

November 2   - Day of the Dead
November 3   - Independence from Colombia
November 4   - Flag Day
November 5   - Columbus Day (And seeing as though he named many cities in Panama...)
November 10 - The Uprising of Los Santos against Spain (Literally translated as "The first scream of                           the saints)
November 28 - Independence from Spain

Needless to say, there are plenty of celebrations throughout the country and though I was sad to miss my town's festivities, it was really neat to be in the national capital for these patriotic days.  

Flag Day, November 5, was the big party day, and I was excited to have another Bocas volunteer around to celebrate with!  Zoe and I meandered along the Cinta Costera, munched on delicious street food, and took tons of photos of stylishly clad marching bands and kids in typical Panamanian dress. Having spent my entire first year in an indigenous site, I thought it was really neat to see the more Latino side of Panamanian Culture.  

And can you believe those stilettos the band girls march in?!  

Panama in November

I love the feeling a full calendar gives me, and thanks to a month full of Panamanian holidays, I already love November.  We started out the month with the Panamanian equivalent of Decoration Day, in which everyone cleans and decorates the gravesites of loved ones.  The next day, November 3, is to celebrate Independence from Columbia, and even if it falls on a weekend like it did this year, all of the kids celebrate at school. 

Though we didn’t have parades or huge block parties like some larger towns, we celebrated Independence Day with a Ceremony at the school followed by some awesome chicken and rice.  Since it was free and they put me at the front of the line (this is a big deal when you know there isn’t enough chicken to go around), I jumped in to do the dishes.  Over 70 plates, forks, cups, and two very pruney hands later, I think it’s safe to say I made a pretty good impression.  What I’ll do for free food…

There are some more patriotic holidays in November, as well as Mother’s day in early December, which is a huge deal down here.  Also on my agenda: A community wide meeting with my boss from Panama City, a trip to the mountains for a Thanksgiving getaway, and preparations for my dad’s trip in December!